"I think," he said, "that we may have missed a lot of information by not having submarine ears before. There may have been all sorts of noises we could have heard." "Possibly," agreed Terry. "We're more or less in the position of savages faced with phenomena they don't understand," said Davis vexedly. "The simple problems of savages range from what produces thunder to what makes people die of disease. Savages come up with ideas of gods or devils doing such things for reasons of their own. We can't accept ideas of that sort, of course!" "No," agreed Terry, "we can't." "But what happened last night," said Davis, "is almost as mysterious to us as thunder to a savage. A savage would blame it on devils or whatnot." "Or on _ellos_," said Terry. "He'd imagine a personality behind it, yes," said Davis. "He does things because he wants to, so he thinks all natural phenomena occur because somebody wants them to. He has no idea of natural law, so he tries to imagine what kind of person--what kind of god or devil--does the things he notices. It's a natural way to think." "Very likely," admitted Terry. "But the point?" "Is that we mustn't fall into a savage's way of thinking about last night's affair." Terry said, "I couldn't agree with you more. But just what are you driving at?" "There's a dredge being made for me in Barca. I'm afraid you may suspect that I'm trying to--stir up something with it. To poke something we _know_ is somewhere but can't identify. I didn't want you to try the fish-paddle in deep water, that's true. But...." "You're explaining," said Terry, "that you didn't want me to whack a fish-driving paddle overside in deep water." Davis hesitated, and then nodded. "The phenomena you're interested in are under water?" "Yes," said Davis. "They are in the Luzon Deep area." "Then, to be co-operative, I'll test this contrivance in ten to fifteen feet of water in the Barca harbor. And I will not get temperamental about your suggestions that I should not mess up your deep-water inquiries." "Thanks," said Davis. He went forward to meet Nick, just coming abovedecks with a slip of paper in his hand. It occurred to Terry, suddenly, that somebody went below down the forecastle hatch just about every hour on the hour. They must be in short-wave communication with Manila. It had been mentioned last night--a loran fix on the _Esperance's_ position. There were apparently frequent reports to somebody somewhere. The afternoon went by. A tree-lined shore appeared to the eastward just when the gaudy colorings of a beautiful sunset filled all the western sky. The _Esperance_ changed course and followed the coast line, some miles out. Night fell. The yacht sailed with a fine smooth motion over the ocean swells.